The 2009 Election

Yesterday was election day. There were elections in a handful of states such as Virginia and New Jersey. There were many mayoral races in different parts of the country such as New York City, Atlanta, Houston, Detroit, etc. Two of the most prominent races were gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia. New Jersey featured gubernatorial candidates Democrat and incumbent Jon Corzine and Republican Chris Christie. They were both in a neck-and neck tie. Virginia featured gubernatorial candidates Bob McDonnell (R) and Creigh Deeds (D). There was also a hotly contested race in New York's 23rd Congressional District. It's a Republican district that's been in Republican hands for over one hundred fifty years. President Obama tapped former Represenative John McHugh as Army Secretary. Therefore it created the need for a special election. The candidates for that district were Bill Owens (D), and Dan Hoffman (CP). Dede Formozzafava suspended her campaign after conservative uproar over her views on abortion and gay rights, for example.

The campaign results from last night are these: In New Jersey Republican Chris Christie defeated Democratic incumbent Jon Corzine by five percentage points. In Virginia Republican Bob McDonnell won handily over Democrat Creigh Deeds by 18 points. In New York's 23rd Congressional district Democrat Bill Owens defeated Conservative Party Dan Hoffman. In the New York mayoral race Michael Bloomberg won a third term as mayor. Boston and Detroit's mayoral incumbents also won.

With the Republicans winning gubernatorial races in New Jersey and Virginia could this be a harbinger of a Republican turnaround in Congress next year? President Obama has been keeping his eye on this election. He stumped for defeated incumbent Jon Corzine in New Jersey at least three times within a week. Obama also stumped a number of times for Creigh Deeds in Virginia as well. It was all to no avail. I have another question. Could the voter turnout Tuesday be a repudiation of President Obama's agenda, especially his healthcare agenda? Republicans need to be cautious and not assume that Tuesday's vote is a mandate for Republican rule. Election 2010 will be different than the election of 1994. Prior to 1994 Republicans hadn't ruled the House of Representatives for 40 years and only had control of the U.S. Senate a couple of times. Since 1994 the Republicans were in charge of the House for 12 years and the Senate for most of that time. The Republicans in Congress continued the same spending habits as the Democrats before them. The Republicans were in power for 12 years and had nothing to show for it. There was corruption in the Republican Congress just as there was corruption in past Democratic Congresses. Americans also still remember the previous Bush administration and many of them still blame Bush for the worldwide recession. Bush still receives more blame for the recession than President Obama. Many of those independent Americans that attended the tea parties in droves this past year are very unhappy with Obama's socialist agenda, especially his healthcare agenda. It was the independent voters who attended the tea parties that turned out to vote. The independent conservative voters are not only infuriated with the Democrats but the Republicans as well. Many Americans feel both parties are out of touch with mainstream America.

There were polls taken in New Jersey which stated that Tuesday's vote wasn't about President Obama but local issues. Jon Corzine was an unpopular governor in New Jersey. Also New Jersey is bankrupt and feeling the effects of the recession. New Jersey went Republican for the first time in twelve years. Virginia elected its first Republican governor in eight years. Virginia was the same stated that voted for Obama in last year's general election. Whenever there's an economic downturn, the party that's currently in charge is the party that's likely to be voted out. When the Democrats are in control and the economy's sour, the voters will turn them out. When the Republicans are in control and the economy's sour, then the voters will turn them out. Tuesday's vote had nothing to do with party preference. The independent voters don't care about party affiliation. They're concerned with the philosophy our leaders espouse as well as which direction they're taking this country. Right now voters across the country believe this country's headed down the wrong direction. This sums up Tuesday's voter turnout.